Marty Cramer

Excerpt from 1/24/2013 SunPatriot.

Marty Cramer of Waconia, the recipient of the Waconia-West Carver Rotary Club’s 2013 Service Above Self Award, stands with club president Ron Seib. There are some people who live for service, who cannot imagine what their life would be if they did not look after the needs of others. Marty Cramer, the recipient of the Waconia-West Carver Rotary Club’s 2013 Service Above Self Award, is one such person. Cramer’s work career started as a speech clinician. Next she earned her early childhood special education degree and then became the Coordinator of Early Childhood Special Education Services for the Carver Scott Educational Cooperative. Her career was a busy one and, after retirement, she found herself in a predicament. She needed something to do. More importantly, she needed something to do that she felt was meaningful and would service to the community. She became involved in the Stephen Ministry program at her church prior to her retirement. As she notes, the training for that program is valuable for any program dealing with people in crisis. She also became involved as a volunteer crisis counselor for the Southern Valley Alliance for Battered Women. Then, after she retired, her church asked her to be liaison from Faith Lutheran church to the Waconia United Food Shelf board. Shortly after she began doing that, she was asked to be a coordinator and then last year, the Board asked her to take over the directorship. However, Cramer said, “I call it lead coordinator, because I work collaboratively with the other coordinators. Everyone’s work is important.” Becoming involved in this organization was a comfortable transition for Cramer because the emphasis was on service, something in which she deeply believes. “In my work life, communication was the key and the same is true here — with clients, donors and the community,” she said. The Waconia United Food Shelf will celebrate its 10 year anniversary this year and Cramer is very proud to be a part of this service to the community. “I find this service so rewarding,” she said. “You always feel you are helping someone through a hard time.“ READ MORE